The Time War Chronicles
by DLoyah
Summary: Few civilisations face challenges as big as this as planets, stars, solar systems and all of time and space are ravaged in the greatest battle the universe has ever known. It is also the last as Time Lords find themselves falling into a final Time War.
1. Chapter 1: Gallifrey

**The Time War Chronicles - Gallifrey**

It was a warm day in the Grand Citadel of Wild Endeavour and the Guard of Omega was on high alert, we had been given orders from the Lord Guardian that a state of red alert was being enforced indefinitely. The orders had been given quietly, unofficially and without any announcement from any of the Defence Offices or even from the Lord President himself. As for the Watchers of the Eye, well they never got involved with defensive matters. I didn't question the order at first; most of the orders of the last several months had been getting more and more outrageous, by Time Lord standards anyway. This was my second year in the Omega Guard, named after the great scientist who discovered the secrets of the time travelling technology from which all of Gallifrey has benefitted from over the generations. I was a fresh recruit from the Academy, an entire Citadel sitting on the Northern Coast on the Continent of Universal Galaxy. It was the largest and most wondrous settlement on our planet, excluding the grandeur of Wild Endeavour of course, but the Academy was adorned everywhere by symbols and statues of some of the most famous and legendary Time Lords of our history. My grandfathers had been disappointed by my Academic achievements; I barely achieved any distinction from any of my Teachers, and my calculations in studies of time and space were abysmal. I had strong determination and focus to the study of Time Lord History and it remains one of my passions; from the foundation of Time Lord Society, Rassilon and Omega through to the first Time Wars with the Eternals and then the Racnoss. I did however achieve a recommendation from Lord Talos who believed that my determination and enthusiasm would be greatly beneficial to the Guard of Gallifrey. It was the single greatest honour of my life when I was accepted into the Guard of Omega, my grandfather was so proud that he even declared a single day of celebration in the small city that he was Administrator of in the borderland close to the ancient Death Zone. The Lord President, a descendant of the legendary Lord Rassilon and named Rassilon himself presided over the induction of my class. He stood on that day underneath our bright orange sky as a cool breeze rushed through the courtyards as the silver leaves brushed against each other in the trees. He stood in his garments of crimson red adorned with the Presidential seals of gold with the staff of Rassilon in one hand and the glove of Omega on the other.

'Today,' he had called out to us with his mighty voice. 'You join a long history of brave and loyal Time Lords who dedicated their lives to keep our world safe. As Lord President and leader of the Time Lord dynasty I welcome you to the Guard of Omega.'

We all stood in our disciplined formations and saluted our leader with mighty fists and loud cheers as was custom. We raised our defensive staffs in salute before returning to station for the oath.

'Will you serve honourably?'

'For Gallifrey!'

Will you serve with dignity?

'For Gallifrey!'

'With courage and loyalty?'

'For Gallifrey!' we shouted again.

'For Gallifrey!' declared the President, raising his staff.

'For Gallifrey!'

My commander was a Time Lord with many generations of experience, known now simply as the Admiral; he was fiercely loyal to Gallifrey and tradition, old fashioned and believed that the Guard had a responsibility to act as such. When ordered on patrol duty inside the Citadel we were required to wear the decorative robes of silver and the head shields of red as tradition once had all Time Lords. The President's Guard wore bright robes of blood red with shining gold shoulder crowns and always looked spectacular; they were the most admired of all Guards on Gallifrey. Most Time Lords these days however have become more relaxed with the ceremonial attires although the Guards, politicians and Seers still upheld the ancient traditions.

The Admiral had become tired in recent weeks, we in the guard assumed it was the strange nature of the orders we were receiving but now we believe it was much more than that. The other day he was asked by the Lord Guardian to accompany him to the Great Tower where the Lord President resides and when he returned he had mobilised the entire battalion and issued out decrees without telling us why.

'These are new orders from the High Council which are to be followed on indefinitely,' said the Admiral.

Today I was stationed on the East crossing bridge in the Western Complex of the Citadel. Throughout the Citadel large extension bridges, beautifully crafted on the inside with rich carpets and antiques from Gallifrey's past, connected the hundreds of skyscrapers which adorned this beautiful region of Wild Endeavour. The Citadel was crafted from native metals of gold and silver and seemed a natural part of the landscape. Time Lords went by their daily routines ignoring the scale of the Citadel around them, this crossing bridge was huge with tall ceilings with many different levels below. There were wide open staircases which led to the lower levels that were filled with libraries, rooms for study and contemplation. Time Lord Technology allowed these grand architectures to exist within the smallest of constructions; at least as far as the outside view was concerned. I stood by the opening on the top level of the bridge, I stood to attention and quietly observed the Time Lords on their journeys, there was a murmur of dignified discussions and the speed of their movement wasn't rushed or slow; to me it all seemed dignified. The bridge consisted of seven levels which totalled to being about several hundred feet of depth within the construction, the staircases were carefully located to allow convenient and safe movement for the inhabitants and the integrity of the main Citadel to accommodate such bridges was impeccable. My regiment of thirteen guards were stationed throughout the seven levels and I was confident that they were standing to attention just like I was. The other battalions though were a different matter entirely.

Most of the battalions had been assigned to help with a massive engineering project commissioned by the Lord President, all we knew was that thousands of miles of interconnected structures were being constructed across the continent and connecting the major cities to a global communication network. The Lady Ocana declared this to be part of a global transportation link designed to make Gallifrey more accessible to the remote areas of the planet but many expressed their horror at the development because the structures were an eye sore across the red and silver landscapes. I grew up in the Citadel itself and whilst I often spent my time spent on the base slopes of Solace where the sparkling diamond rocks lay glistened by crisp snow, the beauty of the Citadel itself seemed to summarise everything that Gallifrey stood for. The highest towers rose beyond the highest structures in any city on the planet, the Visionaries alone were allowed to dwell at the top for long durations staring at the sky, believing that time itself would reveal its greatest secrets if they looked long enough.

I spent several weeks working on the new series of structures a couple of months back; the closest was a few miles away from the Dome which covered the Citadel. I couldn't help but notice that the structures themselves, a series of metal platforms stationed across the ravine between Solace and Solitude which was many miles wide were connected together by metal beams to create a net that had been adapted to allow multiple upgrades which to me didn't resemble anything like a transportation system. I looked out into the wilderness away from the Citadel and saw the foundations for new structures which had already been laid and I was surprised to see that they extended far out to beyond anything I could see. I wanted to ask the Lord Administrator but the Admiral encouraged me to drop the issue and there was even some strange rumours circulating around the encampment that many of the brightest Time Lords were being summoned to see the Lord President. There was even a small whisper that the infamous Doctor was once again on Gallifrey and in fact here in Wild Endeavour.

Lord Rassilon himself was being very secretive at the moment, his usual excursions into the silver fields were becoming less and less frequent and the High Council of Time Lords were cancelling many more of its meetings on what seemed to be a daily basis. Time Lords prided themselves on order and disciple and these dramatic changes seemed to be unnerving many people, including us in the guard.

'I heard from my brother in the Grand Council offices that there had been talk of a coup and that Lord Rassilon barely escaped with his regeneration intact,' said one of my younger colleagues in the Guard one day.

'Impossible,' I said. 'The Network would have reported it, something like a coup on Gallifrey would not be able to escape their eye not matter how hard you try to repress it.'

'Very well then Daos what do you think is going on?'

I paused for a moment.

'I don't know but then if it was our business to know then the Captain or Lord Guardian would have told us.'

'In other words you don't know and there's no point to concern ourselves with politics,' he said.

I didn't answer him because he was right, Gallifrey was changing and something was coming and it was making even the most disciplined of Guards uneasy. The truth was that I didn't believe that either, this was still Gallifrey and we were Time Lords following the footsteps of our great ancestors and for me there was no higher honour or purpose.

The increased secrecy coming from the Lord President's office grew worse and worse as the weeks and months wore on. The transportation grid being assembled across Wild Endeavour had been raised off the ground and was now in equal height with the platforms, the upgrade stations along the whole of the net had been covered and the devices there could no longer be seen. I continued with my duties like always, never questioning, never daring to ask why. The general population were allowed to cross the bridges between Solace and Solitude and out into the Red Lands but they now passed under the grid which acted like a barrier against the heavens. I was ordered to guard the grid station at the foot of Mount Solace where on a daily basis I watched and stood by as scientists from the Citadel would come down in droves to enter the Grid Station. I would often see some who would cross the interconnected walkways under the strongest beams to the next Station further along. I never questioned my orders or my purpose once. The information channels going in and out of the capital were being squeezed by the Lady Ocana who had been threatening lengthy incarcerations to the Lunar Mine orbiting Gallifrey. But as these changes grew more and more apparent from those of us who were close enough to the hierarchy to see, the even more mysterious thing was that general population barely seemed to notice.

Life on Gallifrey carried on like it had always done so, the odd scandal of a Time Lord interfering with another planet's affairs was sometimes a rare occurrence which required the Guard to intervene but otherwise everything was normal.

The days, weeks and months wore on without much notice, I had been appointed group leader of my regiment of the Guard of Omega in recognition of my dedication to duty in the revolts during Gallifrey's two summers. Opposition to the ongoing 'Transportation project' was growing and in some sectors was becoming violent. Two Time Lord Ancients attempted to lead a party into the High Council Chambers while the Time Lords were in session, a would be insult to the High Order not seen since the Civil War over two billion years ago and my regiment was called in to maintain order. Sufficed to say was that they performed impeccably and had received distinction and recognition from Lord Rassilon himself. But things were about to change as one seemingly unimportant day arrived, a single day that would change all of Gallifrey, Rassilon, and most of all myself. On that day I chose my name, as on that day Gallifrey died and a new one was born. This day was today, I was on duty in the East crossing bridge as a mighty and thunderous explosion ripped the world apart and threw me to the ground. The Time War would begin now.


	2. Chapter 2: The Tragedy of Omega Coral

**The Time War Chronicles 2 – The Tragedy of Omega Coral**

I was suddenly and forcefully thrown to the ground, there was a vacuum above my head that seemed to swallow both air and sound as for one split second everything was silent; I had gone deaf. I looked around and saw that every Time Lord man, woman and child had been thrown down together and all were staring out into the great distances away from the Citadel. I turned and watched; it was beautiful as the burnt orange sky stood all powerful above us. Prisms of light was reflecting off the great mountains either side of us with great rainbows decorating the landscape along with the shining silver trees and the lush red grass which lay beneath them. With a great explosion the world thundered apart from the inside, my hearts felt like they had been beaten with a Time scale and I covered my face and protected a group of Time Lord women with my cloak as the glass windows smashed and flew towards us. The screams grew louder and louder and the Citadel seemed to be shaking itself to pieces, ornaments and statues were crumbling and crashing down amongst the inhabitants. I called for my Guards to begin moving people away from the largest of fixtures which I felt were in the greatest danger of collapsing. But no-one moved, too shocked and frightened to do anything, this was not the Gallifrey they remembered. I felt a hot sickening wave of fury rising within me at the sight of their betrayal to duty. I flung myself toward the two of them who were still on the ground; I roughly grabbed them by their ceremonial crowns, their silver robes now unkempt and unclean from the dust, and forced them to look at me.

'You are Guards of Omega!' I roared at them, both looked terrified at me. 'You will follow my commands and get these people to safety!'

There was another crash as one of the staircases was ripped apart taking six Time Lords with them as they fell to the lower levels below. My hearts broke at the sound of their regenerations, the potential of their life wasted with a new untested life beginning. My anger rose at the catastrophe taking place inside our Citadel; there were Time Lord children crying into the comforting arms of their mothers while their fathers tried to protect all of them together from the oncoming debris. The portraits and sculptures adorning the hall were cracking, falling from their seals and podiums and crashing to the hard floors beneath them, to me it was like Gallifrey herself was falling apart but this made my determination even stronger.

There was a sudden bang coming from the shattered frames of the broken windows along the connecting bridge between the Towers. All along the balcony, transparent chutes had erupted from previously hidden hilts along the frame and had descended until they reached the White Gardens below which extended away from the Citadels main building. At the sight of them and my insistent yelling for them to obey orders, the two guards finally got to their feet and started moving the inhabitants of the Citadel towards the openings of the nearest chutes to us. The first of the Time Lords began descending down towards the ground whilst I directed my other Guards to start helping those who had been injured or trapped beneath the new found rubble. I ordered the Guards to switch their Time Scales, the standard defensive unit in the defence service to maximum settings which was strong enough to move some of the heavier debris off of victims or even to clear pathways.

'My Lord look!' cried one of the Guards suddenly. I turned and watched as the huge statue which stood from the base of the bridge to the very top levels suddenly became detached and started to move from its massive alcove in the wall. The Time Lords fear returned as they noticed the incredible statue begin to lose structural integrity and many started to run to the nearest chutes.

'All Guards are to stand their ground and make sure order is maintained,' I barked into the communicator on my crown to my Guards on all levels. It was vital things didn't turn to chaos otherwise the casualties would mount, even for Time Lords.

'My Lord, the crowd is pushing and the ground is beginning to crack and come apart,' cried a Guard from another level.

I stared at the ground and saw indeed that small fissures were breaking the floor slowly but ever increasing in pace as more cracks appeared. I stopped breathing for a second as I traced the cracks back up the walls and onto the ceiling as I finally realised what was happening.

'This is Omega One, get everyone you can down the chutes now, clear all the extension bridges on all levels immediately and clear the white gardens,' I ordered forcefully but with calm. 'I repeat, evacuate everyone now and clear the gardens; the extension bridge is lost and will collapse imminently, I repeat.'

There was a renewed urgency to escape the bridge.

'Remember your loyalties, remember your priority and remember your discipline,' I urged even more calmly. The situation was dire, but I had faith in my Time Lord heritage and my faith in my abilities.

My guards finally managed to clear the chutes of all survivors, some Time Lords were guided to the main complex in the West Sector of the Citadel and were now safe from the danger the East bridge posed. Only myself and my battalion remained on the bridge, I received the all clear from the lower levels that everyone who could be saved had been saved.

'All hands you are ordered to clear the bridge immediately and seal all entry points into this section once clear; alert the Eye that power supply will surge as the bridge collapses, understood?'

'Yes Captain,' responded the Guards quickly, without thinking.

I made my way to the last chute, the guards on this level had just departed and I took one last look at the bridge and saw the cracks begin to expand even further and begin to give way. I felt a sadness flood through me as I watched the beautiful creation prepare to fall. I turned from the destruction and leaped into the chute and fell to safety at last with the remaining survivors. I joined the guards and commanded them to herd the Time Lord survivors away from the gardens to get as far away from the chutes and West Sector buildings as fast as we could. We started running, more orderly than before but with urgency to our movements. Suddenly there was a loud crack and heavy screeching of metal as we turned to watch as the bridge finally gave way and ripped from the Citadel and came crashing down to the earth below. The heavy construction landed hard and heavy, the gardens were crushed and the ground exploded from the impact, covering the nearest walls with the rich soil that had been our gardens.

We began to relax a little when I finally noticed what no-one else had thought to look for; the source of the original explosion. I looked away from the Citadel and into the lands leading away, past the great mountains and there I saw it; a great beast had erupted at the centre of Time Lord civilisation and wreaked havoc upon our unsuspected citizens. The scale of the spectacle was beyond my comprehension as nothing I could imagine would ever match the tyranny before us now. In the great distance way beyond the Citadel of Wild Endeavour, the horizon was moving, blackening and dying; the land was on fire, a tidal wave of flames thousands of feet high and consuming the land as black plumes of smoke rose even further and began to spread across the sky. With a sickening horror I realised that Omega Coral, one of the oldest cities on Gallifrey lay in the general direction of the fire, it was home to many respected Time Lord Scholars and headquarters to various scientific research laboratories. What had happened, an explosion perhaps?

There were a few muffled yells of shock and surprise as several small rumbles could be heard in the distance and felt in the ground beneath our feet, it was like a pocket of gas had finally escaped after a long build-up of pressure. The new sound brought renewed panic amongst the Time Lord survivors whose nerves had been shredded by the days event. We started looking around hoping to see the source of the new disturbance, the rumbles became constant except the feeling in the ground disappeared and seemed to take to the sky.

'There!' cried someone in the crowd. I turned and watched as plumes of white smoke had erupted from behind both Solace and Solitude although to me something was different. It wasn't smoke, the white plumes were led by something shining as the suns rays reflected off it to make it nearly impossible to see; it seemed to be a rocket ship of some kind except it wasn't moving at the typical speed of most rocket ships. Then it hit me, everything suddenly came together like it had always been as I realised now that everything was connected. The strange orders, the tightening of security, strange orders, an advanced planetary communication system, the explosion on Wild Endeavour and these weren't rockets or ships; they were missiles.

No, I thought, there hadn't been an explosion, there had been an attack and Gallifrey had just retaliated. Gallifrey was armed and prepared for a fight. I feel to my knees and tears ran freely down my face but away from the gaze of my guards. The damage and destruction had been immense and although the impact site seemed to be a very long way from here, I dared to consider the damage to smaller settlements closer to the blast zone. Had we really been attacked? The prospect of someone powerful enough to attack us was frightening; too frightening, nearly as frightening as the Nightmare Child itself.

We started encouraging survivors to return to the main structure of the Citadel and away from the wreckage site in the gardens. I positioned the guards throughout the area to prevent anyone from getting too close, there were open power circuits, sharp metal and glass some high structures which could collapse at any moment.

'Attention,' called a magnified voice from the Citadel. 'Citizens are to return to the Citadel or outer settlements immediately; a condition of total alert is declared, all non-essential Time Lords are to return to personal dwellings or designated public areas. All Citadel guards are to report to their group leaders and await further instructions. Omega Coral is destroyed; no reported survivors, five million believed dead, repeat; a state of total alert is declared. President Rassilon will declare his response within the next few hours.'

I stood in the wrecked gardens of the Citadel thinking to myself quite clearly, that this day; the Tragedy of Omega Coral would be a major turning point in our recent history and possibly set the course for things to come. But even the Lord President and all of Gallifrey could never predict what would come to pass out of the cinders of Omega Coral.


	3. Chapter 3: The Grip of Rassilon

**The Time War Chronicles 3 – The Grip of Rassilon**

'My Lord Senators and Time Lords of old, the decision must be made here and now behind close doors to allow the maximum transition of powers to take place before we make our public intentions known. As you have seen from todays terrible events, the enemy is moving much faster than we had expected and the time has come to initiate the final phase of our mobilisation.'

A quiet murmur of contemplation echoed throughout the chamber and Lord Rassilon watched and studied their reaction carefully. He was expecting some resistance to the call, many Council members were becoming frustrated and disgruntled with the state of things on Gallifrey and many were quietly contemplating withdrawing support altogether. He knew he couldn't allow that. Suddenly the murmuring ended abruptly as two Council members stepped forward from the ranks of Time Lords to address him directly.

'My Lord President I'm sure I speak for all us when I welcome the swiftness of your response to this tragedy,' declared an elderly looking Time Lord, first Council member to speak who also carried a great deal of influence. 'However in light of your request and swift change in circumstances I'm afraid I must question your motives.'

Rassilon felt a shiver of unease and anticipation sweep the Chamber, he knew the truth at last; the Council of Time feared him and only Lord Coan and the Lady Vistora would dare challenge him.

'Five years ago you came to this Council and declared a state of emergency,' continued the Time Lord named Coan of the Crystal Plaza of Jaded Shine. 'The likes of which not seen since the Omega Incident and yet since then we've heard nothing more from you and your office frequently refutes all attempt at contact from the members of this ancient Council.'

Rassilon eyes narrowed.

'You imply I'm being deceitful my Lord Coan?' he asked. Lord Coan stood tall and defiant.

'Deceitful is not the word I use,' he said sharply. 'I'm merely curious whether you intend to increase your grip of power over Gallifrey,'

'"Grip of power?"

Rassilon felt a sickening surge of horror and surprise at the insinuation which then turned burned over into anger.

'Are you suggesting my intent is to become a dictator?'

The Lady Vistoria this time stood tall in front of her ally.

'No President has ever wielded as much authority as you Rassilon,' she said more calmly and reasonably. 'Dictatorships must be confronted, the damage we Time Lords could do to the Universe under such leadership could reap more destruction than Creation itself could handle or repair.'

The Lady's tone did much to calm him but Rassilon was growing more and more impatient.

'Your concern is appreciated Lady Senator but I can assure you that my priority is only to safeguard our existence and by mutual fate, the Universe as well.'

'Your power my Lord …'

'The power I have is necessary for the coming storm,' interrupted Rassilon quickly. 'I can not return them yet.'

The Lady Vistoria gave way back to another Council member, a younger man from the Continent of Fortunes Light.

'It is more power than is justified and in the wake of Omega Coral we must demand answers,' he said. The Councillors comment drew more and more support from the Chamber, Rassilon felt a little panic in him now; everything was threatened.

'If I do this, you threaten everything that I am trying to preserve.'

'We are the Children of Gallifrey,' cried Coan. 'You have our lush red and silver landscapes covered under horrifying meshes and sheets of metal, Gallifrey is mutilated and we have allowed it until now. But the time for blind obedience has past.'

There was mighty bang as Rassilon slammed the base of his Time Sceptre hard onto the stone platform from where he spoke.

'I cannot reveal the true nature of events in these circumstances!' he roared.

There were murmurs of discontent from the Councillors of Time, some were dismissing his comments, others were cursing and a few supported him. The Lord Coan and Lady Vistora who had challenged him looked merely disappointed and showed no other physical response to his actions.

'It is possible however!' yelled Rassilon suddenly, silencing the Chamber. 'To meet with a delegation of Council members in my office where I will be prepared to divulge the true extent of the crisis we face.'

'Not acceptable, outrage, make it public,' were the cries from some members of the Council, clearly unhappy and unsatisfied with the Presidents response. The Lady Vistoria however retreated into quiet conversation with Lord Coan who in turn conversed with several of his allies. Finally the Council members turned to him.

'We will accept those terms Rassilon but be warned, if the answers you give prove unacceptable, I will make this announcement public and I will seek to remove you from the office you currently hold.'

An hour later, Lord Rassilon was sitting in his conference suite. The room was pitch black with only a single beam of light shining down on the ceremonial conference table of the Time Lord elite. The table was bronze with a specific place carved for each Time Lord who sat there and inscribed on it were the various symbols which had come to symbolise Time Lord Supremacy since the foundation by Rassilon I. It was also believed to have been forged by the first Time Lord President himself a billion years ago; the great Time Lord named Rassilon who the current president was named after in his honour.

There was a knock at the door which focused Lord Rassilon's attention, he still felt bitter after his disastrous session inside the High Council but now he was ready. The door opened and an elder Time Lord entered.

'The honourable Lady Vistoria and Lord Coan along with their respective delegation are here to see you my Lord,' he said.

'Please send them in,' commanded Rassilon.

The doors opened even wider and in came the whole delegation. The members were wearing their maroon robes minus the head crowns they wore in chambers, they all stopped midway and bowed, as was tradition, to the President who bowed to them and with a gesture with his arms directed them to the table. The Nine members conversed around the table leaving the throne at the head for the President who proceeded to join them once they had been seated.

'Welcome my friends, colleagues of old, it is an honour to hold counsel with you once again,' started Rassilon in a very courteous tone. The Time Lords nodded their respect to the President before Lord Coan spoke.

'It is indeed good to meet with you my Lord President however it has been far too long and that is part of the reason why we have insisted on today's proceedings.'

'I respect your position Lord Coan however I maintain my insistence that this is a mistake and my reasons for doing so remain unchanged,' replied the President.

'Your honesty is commendable my Lord,' said Vistoria. 'However Gallifrey is in great peril, as the mightiest race in the Universe we must be governed by strong principles, principles that maintain peace and order not bloodshed and violence.'

'I assure you my intentions are reactionary and not pre-emptive and in a few minutes time you will understand,' said Rassilon who got to his feet, paused for a few moments and began to speak.

'Ten years ago I received an emergency summon from the Eye of Harmony under this Citadel, the Visionaries were screaming in the darkness of their chambers and the Hierarchy could not console them, he requested that I speak to them and break all tradition of convention of the Order between Presidents and Visionaries.'

The delegation sat in silence studying the President.

'I spoke to them and they spoke to me and in their trances they spoke of an unspeakable horror and as they spoke the Eye began to fluctuate and destabilise as an unprecedented surge of power gripped the Eye's flow and increased power to all of Gallifrey. The Eye received a massive surplus that was rerouted back to our systems because the power being drawn from it was no longer serving the purpose it was intended.'

The delegation whispered amongst themselves confused; the President continued.

'The Visionaries from all of Gallifrey converged together telepathically and confirmed what was to come. The surge in power was false in the present and had come back through time as a warning to us all. That warning was that the Cruciform would be taken and that Gallifrey would be breached and opened to the Universe.'

The delegation whispered much loudly this time, some now seemed greatly disturbed however the leading members seemed sceptical but Rassilon continued still.

'As you all know the Cruciform acts as a barrier against the Universe and isolates us here; and by consequence our technologies as well, the Visionaries predicted that a powerful force would take control of it and use it to penetrate our system and destroy us.'

The President stopped momentarily to let his words sink in.

'Presently however the Cruciform is safe and the barrier is stable but the Tragedy of Omega Coral has shown our enemy that they are nearly ready, that their technology is powerful enough to send a smaller force through to the Cruciform and take control of it. As President I have commissioned a global defence grid hidden under the appearance of a global communication network which when activated, will defend us here and wield powerful weapons, this you have seen throughout our landscape though its true intention is not widely known. On the Iron Plate of Victor Mastis a star fleet has been constructed with fleet stations already being dispersed throughout our star system.'

'What is the capacity of this fleet my Lord?'

'Fleet numbers so far have struck five hundred thousand but in the wake of Omega Coral I intend to increase production capacity two hundred per cent by mobilising the entire planet.'

'Is that necessary, such a declaration may start a panic?'

'We are Time Lords, we do not panic and there will be nothing to panic about because upon the granting of the Hand of Omega to me I will deploy our entire fleet of Tardis devices which will be fully crewed and upgraded to provide shielding, tactical and technical support to our legions. Lords and Ladies of Time what I have been doing is quite simple, I've been building an army of Time Lords so that when our darkest time comes we will not only fight this enemy but we will be victorious.'

'My Lord there is one single problem with your reasoning, the identity of the enemy we fight against; who are they?'

'That my Lords is another matter entirely and is a discussion which I have no doubt will convince you of the horrors we face but in order for you to fully grasp this enemy I will introduce you to the first Time Lord to have ever encountered them.'

Rassilon slammed his staff on the ground and at that command another door opened which had been concealed in the darkness.

'Let me introduce you all to the Doctor.'


	4. Chapter 4: The Battle of Andromeda Pt 1

**The Time War Chronicles 4 – the Battle for Andromeda part 1**

Another explosion ripped directly above us and for a moment the ground became visible again as the missile collided with the time barrier as its flames expanded over the dome protecting us. The newest recruits to my battalion shuddered and cowered behind me, my group Commander was stationary and did not flinch from the barrage that was being hailed down on top of us. I silently signalled my soldiers to be ready; the moment was fast approaching as I glanced across the battle field before us. Before the war many Time Lords came to Andromeda to be inspired by its beauty; to the rest of the universe Gallifrey was the great shining world of the cosmos but to Time Lords, Andromeda was the source of imagination itself. The sky of Andromeda by day was a bright yellow blanket protecting the world against a harsh red sun, the soil was a rich purple which covered both of the planets massive continents. The green oceans, seas and lakes were unique landmarks but they pale in comparison to the Shards of Andromeda; sapphire mountains with the appearance and transparency of glass but the strength and thickness of the mightiest armour.

'How many of them?' asked the Second. The Time War had disrupted many of our traditions and the ancient name choosing ceremonies was one of the many casualties. Most Time Lords at the moment were allocated military codenames, I chose mine following the destruction of Omega Coral two years ago, the day the Time War started. The Captain was a name of respect my subordinates worshipped on me after the attack and it sort of took hold, it was an obvious choice of name to take. Many Time Lords however were abandoning name choosing altogether and were adopting their birth names as their only name.

'Difficult to say,' I said. 'The Enemy command is operating from within that compound ahead and I'm sure there are some Hunter patrols out there as well.'

'Brilliant, I love those things,' exclaimed the Second cheerfully; 'target practice.'

The men in our group laughed, appreciating the Second's attempt to brighten the mood of everyone. I didn't laugh but I appreciated his efforts none the less.

'When Time Command begins the bombardment there will be a ten minute delay before the Daleks are able to reconfigure their defenses and close the opening in their shields. You are to run, run as fast as you can, keep your eyes open for Dalek Hunter Patrols, protect your battalion and your battalion will protect you,' I said as every man in my unit watched attentively, hanging onto every word I said hoping that I might say something that will help them in the battle ahead.

There was a mighty rumble overhead and I saw three Dalek battle cruisers, mighty golden saucer shaped ships descend into the atmosphere. My hearts froze for a split second as the three ships headed towards us, there was a sudden flash of blue light from the lead ship and a massive explosion as the Dalek cruiser opened fire on our positions.

'Get down!' I yelled.

The explosions ripped the ground apart as small rocks and dust scattered over us covering our ruby uniforms and silver crowns with pieces of Andromeda Shards. There were cries of terror as discipline failed with some of my youngest recruits, one turned from our guard and leaped from the dugout and tried to run back towards our territorial perimeter, there were terrible screams of 'EXTERMINATE' as the young soldier was vaporised by enemy fire.

'Protect your battalion and your battalion will protect you!' I shouted angrily.

There was another explosion from the enemy cruisers, lighter booms came from behind us as our batteries opened fire on the Dalek cruisers. Time Lord missiles of crimson mixed with Dalek bolts of blue that created a light storm in the atmosphere of the planet Andromeda. But the batteries were causing minimal damage as flames ricocheted off the Dalek hull and were just about causing it to buckle. The majority of our batteries were being concentrated on the main fleet which was being engaged above us. I yelled towards the dugout half an acre away just as it exploded from a missile launched by the Dalek ship hovering above us. Time seemed to stop momentarily as I looked up into the heart of the Dalek cruiser right over us; I looked into the face of death and expected its cold touch to take us away from life. It never came as a mighty explosion ripped the cruiser open from the centre, crimson blasts ripped the ship open again and again as it fell from the sky and headed to crash into the mountains surrounding us. I turned excitedly and laughed a huge sigh of relief as three Time Lord battleships soared from behind us and engaged the remaining Dalek cruisers. The three ships of gold and silver flew at close range; Time Ships were smaller than Dalek vessels but were much more manoeuvrable which was ideal because the Dalek star fleet greatly outnumbered our own. The mighty vessels exchanged heavy fire, their shields taking damage but the Daleks were being forced back towards the sky. The second Dalek ship seemed to be losing its shields as several of the Time Ship exchanges struck the hull of the Dalek cruiser itself; the last cruiser cut across the Time Lord vessels and acted as a shield for the other as it fell back to save itself. As the star ships continued their dual into the upper atmosphere, the bombardment of the Dalek compound began. Flashes of crimson ripped the darkened sky apart and christened it with bright flames as the Dalek defenses were pounded by heavy artillery.

'This is it!' I yelled. 'Weapons ready, crowns deployed communicators online.'

My squad of twenty five Time Lords busied themselves obeying my commands, the rifles were a new design being tested here and now in battle, the projectiles were designed to penetrate Dalek shielding around their cases. Earlier campaigns were lost because Dalek shielding made killing a single one of them more complicated than killing a single Time Lord.

'For life,' cried the Second.

'For glory,' I said.

'For Gallifrey,' we called in unison.

'For Gallifrey!'

I led the charge from our dugout, the rich purple soil, drained from the battle of the last several months crunched like gravel under our feet. The yells of charging Time Lords could be heard from all around us and covering fire shot over our heads towards the distance where sounds of Dalek electronics coming from their casings could be barely heard between the sounds of artillery fire and explosions. I ran with my Second Commander bearing up just behind me, the heavy footsteps and yells of charge told me that the soldiers were following us and following us into battle. The ground before us

A blue flash emerged from the darkness ahead of us and ripped into a soldier just behind me; as I hesitated there were several more flashes which ripped the ground up and smashed against Shard pieces which had been scattered across the ground during the battleships battle. More blasts came and soared into the incoming horde of Time Lord soldiers. From over the mountain pass I saw them, a Hunter patrol of sixteen Daleks descending from the hidden peaks of the Shards, the blue light of their eye stalks focused squarely on us.

'TIME LORDS DETECTED!' they screeched.

'EXTERMINATE ALL TIME LORDS, DALEKS EXTERMINATE!'

The sixteen Daleks opened fire and cut down several of our oncoming soldiers, with a gesture to my battalion, we formed a step formation and returned fire. Two Daleks were destroyed instantly but the others began evading and continued their attack.

'Covering fire then move on,' I said. I stopped firing and continued on towards the pass, I glanced backwards to the rest of my battalion who divided into several columns who each took turns providing covering fire for the remaining battalion. The Daleks continued their attack on our positions but we continued to push forward although this didn't not stop the fall of more and more Time Lords; Dalek weaponry had evolved to halt the regeneration process. We continued the charge until we broke past the Dalek line of defense before the pass, the sixteen Daleks had been reduced to nine and they were moving to head us off from entering the path.

'DALEK HUNTERS RETURN TO BASE IMMEDIATELY; BATTERIES PROVIDE COVERING FIRE!'

The pass was suddenly lit of laser fire as the hidden enemy forces concentrated its defence of the pass itself as the Daleks soared over the Shard ridge and disappeared into the darkness. The ground beneath our feet was blown apart and the lasers firing at us slammed into our formations as more and more Time Lords died at the hands of the Dalek horde.

'Take cover!'

We threw ourselves to the ground, the upturned Shards and uneven landscape of Andromeda provided us with cover from the Dalek onslaught, it made assault vehicles impossible to pass but it did at least provide cover for oncoming infantry. I threw my rifle over the top of the rock which was providing me with protection and opened fire blindly into the oncoming horde of Daleks. I looked along frontline of Time Lords across the battlefield, two thousand Time Lords were being committed to this push and our first wave of two hundred had been contained. The compound was protected by the cover of the blue Andromeda Shard Mountains, the diamond trees were burnt or burning and the richness of the soil had been lost from the battle. We were stranded in the open before a narrow pass between the Shard Mountains and the pass before us betrayed nothing of what was on the other side; Visionary Command believed a command centre was being operated there to monitor fleet movements in the closest gap between Gallifrey and Skaro. The spatial gap across the other side of the system was impassable because the Gates of Alyssium contained the Nightmare Child; neither Time Lords or Daleks had attempted this path since the early skirmishes.

'Time Lord Control this is the Captain,' I said on my communicator, 'we are pinned down by enemy fire from unknown origins and request the second wave be sent.'

'Confirmed Legion One, second wave will commence on the second bombardment,' replied Command swiftly.

I nodded my approval and studied the perimeter; the pass would narrow our numbers which meant a large force would be needed to stand any chance of reaching our destination. The unknown weapons fire carried on down onto our perimeter, trying to flush us out; some Time Lords were falling as the blasts hit their mark.

'Group Leaders Alpha, Beta and Gamma, this is the Captain, upon commencement of second bombardment you are to take your units and follow us into the pass, Leaders Charlie, India and Papa will provide covering fire ,' I commanded and waited.

'Leader One this is Group Commander Gamma, that order is suicide; we don't know how many are out there and they could wipe us out before we even get sight of them.'

'It's a risk we are going to have to take, the second wave will be launching as the bombardment commences and we cannot be here when they come otherwise it will be a complete slaughter,' I said. 'Once myself and battalions Alpha, Beta and Gamme have crossed the path, the remaining Leaders will follow.'

'This is ludicrous,' snapped the commander in frustration. 'At least deploy the mobile deflectors across our lines!' A Dalek blast narrowly missed me as it exploded just short of our covering rock.

'Remember your place Lord Commander,' I barked, 'the deflectors will be needed to secure our line through the pass, as will the Defender beacons.'

There was a silence on the intercom.

'You will obey my commands, this is our mission but my command and I am telling you it is of the utmost importance that we take this facility. Now when I signal you are to lead your battalions through this pass, form a perimeter and deploy deflectors and Defenders and engage any Daleks that may be there, understand?'

There was a momentary pause as more explosions ripped the land apart.

'Understood, sir,' said the commander finally. With satisfaction I returned to the task at hand and faced my battalion.

'When bombardment commences we are going to charge this pass, any Daleks in there will swoop down and try to take us out but we are not going to let that happen, protect your battalion and your battalion will protect you. Understand?'

'Yes sir!'

The bombardment began with heavy explosions erupting before us. The highest point of the fires could be seen at the tip of Shard Mountains, a faint sapphire glow covered our positions as Andromeda flashed just a small piece of its eternal beauty.

'Covering fire!' the Second called into the communicator. Crimson bolts surged into the pass, lighting the way ahead.

'For Gallifrey!'

There were renewed cheers and war cries as we flung ourselves to our feet and stormed towards the pass before us. We ran under the storm above our heads, the narrow pass seemed to last forever and I began counting our luck, a dark sapphire glow from the Shard pass lit us up as well as the Dalek weapons fire. At last we emerged finally as the pass walls disappeared and we found our self in a wide clearing, Ahead was a single metal fortress which lit up like a forest on fire, it was a small compound but of major important to our war effort, with sapphire glow from the Shard Mountains this would be very beautiful to behold if not for Dalek horde facing us now. On the ground and in the air, I counted at least a thousand Dalek hunters between us and our target with just moments to penetrate the shield covering this facility.

'EXTERMINATE, EXTERMINATE, EXTERMINATE!' shrieked the Daleks.

'Time Lords, deploy and attack!' I roared and lunged forward as the next phase of our attack began.

'FOR GALLIFREY!'


End file.
